1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to binders for papers and, more particularly, to binders which employ a plurality of rings to retain paper or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ring binders are used extensively in business and industry, in educational institutions and government agencies, and in domestic households. Ring binders are convenient for semi-permanently retaining paper or the like, with the paper having holes punched in one of the margins. They are often used for filing and are easily labeled along the spine and come in various colors for easy recognition. They are conveniently dimensioned so as to fit in file cabinets and bookcases.
The most commonly used ring binder is the three-ring binder. However, ring binders employing two rings, five rings, and so on are also available. Oftentimes the number of rings and the spacing of the rings is customized for a particular application such as with promotional, sales, or instructional materials. Common ring binders retain paper with holes punched in the left margin with the pages being turned from right to left. Ring binders may also retain paper with holes punched in the top margin with the pages turned over the top.
The size of the ring binder (i.e., the diameter of the rings) and, accordingly, the amount of paper the ring binder is able to retain varies. For example, a small ring binder may have 1/2-inch diameter rings. An average sized ring binder may have 1-inch to 11/2-inch diameter rings. A large ring binder, often provided with an articulated cover and rings with a flat portion, may have rings in the 3-inch diameter range. In addition, archival ring binders have ring diameters in the neighborhood of 5 inches.
One of drawbacks in the commercial trade of ring binders, including shipping, handling, storing, and wholesale and retail selling (particularly in terms of inventory and shelf space), is the size of the ring binders. Storage space is also a concern to stores or other users who buy and use large quantifies of large-ringed binders. For example, if a ring binder has 3-inch diameter rings, the overall thickness or depth of the binder when empty is about 31/4 inches to 31/2 inches. Further, shipping companies often charge by volume and not by weight. Therefore, a ring binder which may not weigh much, relatively speaking, but which takes up a lot of space will have a relatively high per-unit shipping cost.
In an attempt to reduce the cost of shipping and storing, manufacturers of ring binders pack the binders into boxes in alternating directions to minimize shipping space. In doing this, the shipping space is reduced approximately in half. However, the required space is still much greater than the thickness of the binder covers.
In view of this drawback, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the costs associated with shipping and storing ring binders by providing a ring binder which occupies relatively little space during shipping, handling, and storage, and relatively little shelf space during wholesale and retail sales.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible ring binder which is able to be manufactured in an efficient and cost-effective manner so that the increase in the per-unit price to manufacture the collapsible binder does not exceed the per-unit savings in the shipping costs.
It is further object of the invention to provide ring binders which may be packed more densely into boxes for shipping, thereby saving paper, packing, and shipping costs.